HILLBURN — The Mid-Westchester JCC and the 92nd Street Y 16U girls basketball teams shared a dilemma: They each had only four players available heading into last Sunday’s Maccabi Games opening ceremony. In their mutual moment of need, the two teams found each other and embraced the Maccabi Games theme of welcoming strangers as extended family.

After going winless in Monday’s two games, the combined Mid-Westchester JCC/92nd Street Y team showed resolve in a come-from-behind 53-50 win over Chicago Tuesday morning. Despite not yet holding a practice, the new teammates have gotten to know one another throughout the games they have played.

“The first time we met was opening ceremonies,” Y head coach Ernest Ivory said. “Every game after that, we’ve gotten better and better because we now understand and know each other.”

It took a half to build cohesion Tuesday, but when they did, they erased Chicago’s lead with suffocating defense and high-octane offense led by Mid-Westchester JCC’s Julia Zucker and the Y’s Olivia Tanzman. Zucker scored 15 points and had a number of steals and deflections, and Tanzman poured in 18 points, all in the second half, scoring on jump shots, put-backs, and fast breaks.

The two teams had never competed with or against each other, but after the players realized they had mutual friends through basketball camps, they bonded.

Zucker and Tanzman had heard about each other through mutual friends but had only met once at a Bat Mitzvah. After only a few days of playing basketball and eating together, both players said they now know each other well.

On Tuesday, that newfound synergy was evident as the two constantly found each other for shots.

“We’ve all become really close friends,” Tanzman said. “Once we really figured out each other’s strengths — once I knew Julia could hit 3s — I passed to her at the 3-point line, and she took 3s.”

After Mid-Westchester JCC’s coach left for personal reasons, Ivory began instituting his own system while adjusting to the Mid-Westchester JCC players’ strengths. Mid-Westchester JCC’s players recognized Ivory’s attention to detail after the game.

“He’s a really good coach,” Zucker. “He picked up easily what we did well, and he knows who should go in at the right time.”

Ivory said his goal has been to show his players that when he makes a call or a lineup change, it is for the good of the entire team.

“Everyone’s coach has a different philosophy,” Ivory said. “So to try to convince them that what we’re doing is going to be the right thing is a little tough. It takes time for them to have trust to say ‘Ok, maybe this will work.’ ”

The combined Mid-Westchester JCC/92nd Street Y 16U girls basketball team lost its final game of pool play 38-19 to Samuel Field Y Tuesday afternoon. The team will enter the single-elimination portion of the schedule today.